Watching the world of east London politics

Police offer to protect East End MPs

Labour’s selection farce is undoubtedly comedy gold, but there’s also a sinister side.

The Metropolitan Police is so concerned about what’s going and the genuine anger and fury that’s being whipped up in some quarters that they’ve offered the two Tower Hamlets MPs extra protection, according to copper-bottomed Scotland Yard sources.

Police, acting on intelligence gathered at a meeting at a Tower Hamlets mosque last night, have warned Rushanara Ali and Jim Fitzpatrick that they could be targets for reprisals from those angry at Lutfur Rahman’s exclusion from the Labour mayoral shortlist. Both MPs have been asked whether they want added security at their surgeries.

You may remember that that I blogged here about at article I wrote for the Sunday Express here in May, which detailed a terror plot against four London-based former Labour ministers, including Stephen Timms and Jim Fitzpatrick.

Those whipping this contest up into some racist “Islamophobic” conspiracy should take note.